Generofity, which are neceffary to become SER. VIII, a great Fortune; and of all thofe Perfections, viz. Moderation, Humility, and Temperance, which are neceffary to bear a small one patiently; but especially it is your Duty to acquire a Tafte for thofe Pleasures, which, after they are tasted, go off agreeably, and leave behind them a grateful and delightful Flavour on the Mind.

Happy that Man, who, unembarraffed by vulgar Cares, Mafter of himself, his Time and Fortune, fpends his Time in making himself wifer, and his Fortune in making others (and therefore himself) happier: Who, as the Will and Understanding are the two ennobling Faculties of the Soul, thinks himself not complete, till his Understanding be beautified with the valuable Furniture of Knowledge; as well as his Will enriched with every Virtue: Who has furnished himself with all the Advantages to relish Solitude, and enliven Conversation; when ferious, not fullen when chearful, not indifcreetly gay; His Ambition not to be admired for a falfe Glare of Greatness; but to be beloved for the gentle and fober Luftre of his Wifdom and Good

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SER. VIII. Goodness. The greateft Minister of State has not more Business to do in a publick Capacity, than he, and indeed every Man else, may find in the retired and ftill Scenes of Life. Even in his private Walks, every Thing that is vifible convinceth him, there is prefent a Being invisible. Aided by natural Philosophy, he reads plain legible Traces of the Divinity in every Thing he meets: He fees the Deity in every Tree, as well as Mofes did in the burning Bush, though not in fo glaring a Manner: And when he fees him, he adores him with the Tribute of a grateful Heart.

III. I fhall now, as I propofed, draw towards a Conclufion, by fubjoining fome Reflections which have a Connexion with the Subject.

ift, Let us fet a juft Value upon, and make a due Ufe of thofe Advantages, which we of this Place enjoy, who are here feparated from the bufy World to feek and intermeddle with Wisdom.

One confiderable Advantage is, that regular Method of Study, too much neglected in other Places, which obtains here. Nothing is more common elsewhere, than for Perfons,

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Perfons to plunge, at once, into the very SER. VIII. Depth of Science, far beyond their own) without having learned the first Rudiments: Nothing more common than for fome to pafs themselves upon the World for great Scholars, by the Help of universal Dictionaries, Abridgements, and Indexes: By which Means they gain an ufeless Smattering in every Branch of Literature, juft enough to enable them to talk fluently, or rather impertinently, upon moft Subjects; but not to think justly and deeply upon any: Like those, who have a general fuperficial Acquaintance with almost every Body: To cultivate an intimate and entire Friendship with one or two worthy Perfons, would be of more Service to them. The true genuine Way to make a substantial Scholar, is, what takes Place here, viz. to begin with those general Principles of Reasoning, upon which all Science depends, and which give a Light to every Part of Literature; to make gradual Advances, a flow, but fure Procefs; to travel gently, with proper Guides to direct us, through the most beautiful and fruitful Regions of Knowledge in general; before we fix ourselves in, and confine ourselves to any particular Province

SER.VIII. Province of it: It being the great Secret of Education not to make a Man a complete Mafter of any Branch of Science, but to give his Mind that Freedom, Openness, and Extent, which fhall empower him to mafter it, or indeed any other, whenever he fhall turn the Bent of his Studies that Way: Which is best done, by setting before him, in his earlier Years, a GENERAL View of the whole intellectual World: Whereas an early and entire Attachment to one particular Calling narrows the Abilities of the Mind to that Degree; that he can scarce think out of that Track which he is accustomed.

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The next Advantage I fhall mention is, a Direction in the Choice of Authors upon the most material Subjects. For it is perhaps a great Truth, that Learning might be reduced to a much narrower Compafs, if one were to read none but original Authors, meaning by original Authors, thofe, who write chiefly from their own Fund of Senfe, without treading fervilely in the Steps of others.

Here, too, a generous Emulation quickens our Endeavours, and the Friend improves the Scholar: The Tedioufness of the Way

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to Truth is infenfibly beguiled by having SER. VIII. Fellow-Travellers, who keep an even Pace with us: Each Light difpenfes a brighter Flame, by mixing it's focial Rays with those of others. Here we live fequestered from Noise and Hurry, far from the great Scene of Business, Vanity, and Idleness, our Hours all our own. Here it is, as in the Athenian Torch-Race, where a Series of Men have fucceffively tranfmitted from one to another the Torch of Knowledge; and no fooner has one quitted it, but another equally able takes the Lamp to dispense Light to all within his Sphere*. But the greatest Commendation of thefe Seminaries is, that they have been conftantly blackened by the Enemies of Religion and Goodness. Those, who have planted their Batteries against the Chriftian Religion, have always fingled out the Universities as the Mark of their Hoftilities: Which is virtually to confefs, that they are the Bulwarks of Religion, and that they can never fucceed in their audacious Attempts, till they have brought them into Difcredit.

Others there may be, who cenfure them without juft Grounds. For it is a Fault, -Quafi curfores, vitai lampada tradunt. Lucretius

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